Message from the Mayor
Hello everyone,
To be clear…
I love our community, I love supporting local business, I love the beach excitement, and I love socializing at our local establishments…but…now is still not the time. The Province has moved to the second stage of openings throughout much of Ontario, but like the GTA to the east, and Windsor-Essex to the south, Lambton is still in Stage 1.
I cannot imagine anyone wants Lambton Shores to move forward more than I do…but it is still not our time. As both Mayor and Warden, I have talked with both our members of Provincial Parliament, and have offered any and all information that will help the Province to move Lambton along the path to re-opening. I believe “our numbers” are good, and I know we have each worked hard to follow provincial guidelines aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19. I am optimistic that as early as next Monday we may have good news for our area.
If you are reading this message as someone looking to visit our beautiful community, please know that our restaurant patios, beaches and most summer activities are still shut down. Please be patient, we will welcome you soon.
If you are reading this message as one of our ambassadors, business owners or community members, stay strong and remain positive. The start to our summer season this year is unprecedented. We will recover and we are confident that we will be able to welcome summer and all that comes with it. For the time being, our beach remains closed. We are working very closely with our partners to ensure that the reopening is coordinated and safe for all sunseekers. There will be opportunities to view the sunsets this year!
As if the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 has not challenged us enough, within the past two weeks it has become evident that there is a significant outbreak of gypsy moth caterpillars affecting the northern areas of Lambton Shores. The caterpillars are defoliating trees in the Pinery, Conservancy, and County forests and also affecting nearby private properties. Enquiries through the Ministry of Natural Resources indicate that this is a cyclical pest, and that these caterpillars have hatched from egg masses laid last year. I understand that the feeding will finish this month and that tree damage may not be fatal, but clearly the caterpillars are impacting the enjoyment of our properties due to the irritation and mess from their droppings. The Municipality is not aware of any control action being planned by the large land stewards, but I understand that some private property owners have taken measures to control the pest on their own property.
Information related to the gypsy moth is available online. A good local resource is the
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority
website. The website contains a number of recommendations for dealing with the caterpillars, and residential property owners wanting to take action to protect their own trees and landscape may wish to consider any of these recommended control measures. I would like to point out that I have talked with a number of residents that feel “someone needs to do something” to control the pest, and others that are equally committed to let nature run its course. Please remember that these are trying times for all of us, and as neighbours we need to respect the viewpoint that others may hold.
I touched on this in last week’s message, but I cannot stress enough to remember to be kind to others. I recognize that COVID related challenges are different for everyone. For some, it is the loss of income, the inability to connect with friends, the postponement of a much anticipated event, or even the loss of loved ones. In these times, with so much out of our control, we can control how we treat one another. Please remember this, as we continue to navigate these uncertain times.
Stay healthy, safe and positive.
Mayor Bill
